Vending machine



March 11, 1941. PAYNE 2,234,316

VENDING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1939 2 sheets-Sheet 1 F. PAYNE VENDING MACHINE March 11, 1941.

Filed April 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M%// Z///////////////// w 8 4 h Frank Payne Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Frank Payne, Etowah, Tenn.

Application April 15, 1939, Serial No. 268,032

6 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in vending machines.

An important object of my invention is to provide a vending machine that is adapted to contain a plurality of small articles such as aspirin, gum or the like, and to individually or seriately discharge the same to the customer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vending machine that is light and compact in its construction, and that may be placed in any convenient location that is readily accessible to potential customers.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a vending machine that is adapted to operate upon the deposit of a coinin the device and that will automatically return the desired article to the customer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vending machine that will require very little supervision or attention after it has been filled with the articles to be vended.

A further object of my invention is to provide a vending machine that is simple in construction, efiicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this speci- 3 fication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a device embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and showing parts broken away,

40 Figure 4 is a front elevation of my device, and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the agitator plate embodying a part of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l0 designates a box-like receptacle which includes a base member ll, rear and front walls l2 and I3, side walls 14 and I5, and a removable cover IS. The supporting blocks I! and I8 are mounted in- 50 teriorly of the box and in appressed relation with the inner face of the sides I4 and I5. The upper face 19 of the block I1 is bevelled toward the inside of the receptacle, and the upper face 20 of the block I8 is similarly bevelled but at a greater 5; angle so that the inner rectilinear edge 2| of the .the blocks l1 and I8.

face 29 is disposed substantially lower than the corresponding rectilinear inner edge 22 of the block H.

A slug proof coin slide 23 of conventional con- 1 struction, is carried by the front wall i3 of the 5 receptacle and the slide bar 24 thereof operates interiorly of the receptacle. The upper portion of the block I8 is of reduced thickness to define the longitudinally extending horizontal shoulder K 26 and the inner face of the projecting lower po-r- 10 tion 21 thereof is provided with an angularly disposed groove 28 the upper end of which opens through the shoulder 26 substantially one-third of the way from the rear wall l2, and the lower end thereof communicates exteriorly of the re- 15 ceptacle through the front wall l3. The basin 29 is carried by the base I I under the outlet end of the groove 28 to receive the Vended articles discharged therethrough. The cover plate 30 is carried by the block [8 and encloses the inclined 20 groove 28.

The discharge plate 3| is carried'by the inwardly extending end of the slide bar 24 and has one longitudinal edge slidably received within the recess 25 in the block I! and the other longitu- 25 dinal edge supported on the shoulder 26 of the block l8. The rear edge 32 of the discharge plate extends rearwardly of the said slide bar but terminates a substantial distance from the rear wall I2, and an integrally formed lateral 3O tongue 33 extends forwardly along the slide bar and with its forward end 34 normally positioned adjacent the front wall l3 of the receptacle when the slide bar 24 is in the fully retracted position.

The lateral recess 35 inv the discharge plate is of 35 substantially the same size as the article to be vended, which is here illustrated as an aspirin. The recess 35 is therefore substantially rectangular in shape and is slightly largerthan the ordi- 'nary aspirin, and when the slide bar 24 is'in the innermost or advanced position, the recess 35 is adapted to communicate with the upper end of theinclined groove 28 in the block l8.

An agitator plate 36 is supported by but not attached to the-discharge plate 3| and either side thereof slidably engages the inner faces of The side 3'] of the agitator plate is provided. with a lower longitudinal recess 38 which overlies an upwardly extending shank 39 carried by the discharge plate 3|. The 60 spaced pins 40 and 4|, are carried by the plate 36 and extend laterally through the recess 38 to be alternately engaged bythe vertical shank 39 when'the slide bar 24 is reciprocally actuated. The upp'er'face 42"ofthe agitator plate is bevelled so that the rectilinear edges 43 and 44 thereof will be positioned in aligning relation with the rectilinear edges 22 and 21 of the blocks l1 and- I 8. The side 45 of the agitator plate is provided with an elongated recess 46 of substantially the same width as the recess 35 in the discharge plate 3| and of sufficient length to accommodate several of the articles to be vended.

therein and into the basin 29.

Transverse closure walls 41 and 48 are positioned above the agitator plate 36 and are supported in aligning slots in the blocks l1 and I8 to define a central space within the receptacle bounded by the upper face of the agitator plate 36, upper faces l9 and 20 of the blocks l1 and I8, and the top cover It.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When the slide bar 24 is in the fully retracted, or coin receiving position, the discharge plate 3| will be positioned forwardly in the receptacle and the vertical shank 39 carried thereby will be in engagement with the lateral pin 40 to move the agitator plate 36 forwardly in the receptacle so that the forward edge thereof will be adjacent the front wall [3. The articles to be vended are deposited between the transverse walls 41 and 4,8, and by virtue of the inclined nature of the upper surface 42 of the agitator plate, several of the said articles will fall within the elongated slot 46.

The slot is here illustrated as adapted to accommodate four aspirin, the foremost of which will drop into the aligning slot 35 of the discharge plate 3!. When the coin is inserted in the coin slide, the slide bar 24 may be pushed inwardly into the receptacle and the article'within the slot 35 will be moved rearwardly until it moves into alignment with the upper end of the inclined groove 28 in the block I8. The vertically extending shank 39 of the discharge plate will engage the rear laterally extending pin 4| of the agitator plate before the recess 35 aligns with the groove 28 to move the said agitator plate a slight distance rearwardly therewith and to jar the same in a manner to cause another of the said articles to be deposited within the elongated slot 46. When the slot 35 in the discharge plate is in alignment with the upper end of the inclined groove 28 it will be disposed rearwardly of the elongated slot 45 in the agitator plate, and the article positioned therein will drop into the inclined groove 28 and roll downwardly Upon forward movement of the slide bar, the discharge plate will move forwardly in a manner to bring the recess 35 into alignment with the elongated slot 46 in the agitator plate to receive another of the articles positioned therein. Shortly before the coin slide is in the fully retracted position the shank 39 will engage the foremost pin 40 of the agitator plate to move the same forwardly and to jar another of the articles into the elongated slot 46.

It may thus be seen that upon full retraction of the slide bar 24, the dewce will be again fully loaded and ready to discharge another article upon the insertion of another coin in the coin slide. Because of the inclined upper surface 42 the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vending apparatus, a receptacle having a discharge chute, a discharge plate slidably mounted within said receptacle and having a recess communicable with the said discharge chute, an agitator plate arranged in superposed relation with the discharge plate, said agitator plate being supported by but unattached to'the said discharge plate and comprising the floor of a hopper containing articles to be vended, said agitator plate having an elongated slot to receive a plurality of articles to be'vended and aligning with the recess in the said discharge plate, actuator means connected to the discharge plate and adapted to reciprocate the same independently of the agitator plate to move the re-, cess into and out of register with the discharge chute, and catch means carried by the discharge plate adapted to engage the said agitator plate during the travel of the discharge plate to shake the articles to be vended into the said elongated the recess into register with the said discharge chute.

.3. In a vending apparatuaa receptacle having a discharge chute, a slide positioned infand operating through one end of the said receptacle, a discharge plate carried by the said slide. and

slidable therewith and having a recess adapted to be moved into and out of register with the said discharge chute but being normally out of register therewith, and an agitator plate supported by the said discharge plate for independent sliding movement thereon and comprising the floor of a hopper containing articles to be vended, said agitator plate having an elongated slot normally aligning with the recess in the said discharge plate and the upper surface s.

thereof being inclined to direct the articles to be vended int-o the said elongated slot and recess, whereby actuation of the slide to move the recess in the discharge plate into register with the discharge chute will move the said recess only the article within the recess will be discharged from the receptacle.

4. In a vending apparatus, a receptacle having a discharge chute, a slide positioned in and out of register with the elongated slot whereby operating through one end of the said receptacle,

a discharge plate carried by the said slide and slidable therewith and having a recess movable into and out of register with the said discharge chute but being normally out of register therewith, an agitator plate supported by the said discharge plate for independent sliding movement thereon and comprising the floor of a ,hopper containing articles to be vended, said agitator plate having an elongated slot normally aligning with the recess in the said discharge plate and an inclined top surface to direct the articles to be vended into the said elongated slot and recess, spaced pins extending laterally from one side of the said agitator plate, and a vertically disposed pin projecting from the said discharge plate intermediate the said first pins and adapted to alternately engage the first-mentioned pins during the actuation of the discharge plate by the slide to shake the articles to be vended into the said elongated slot, actuation of the slide moving the recess in the discharge plate into register with the discharge chute and out of register with the elongated slot whereby only the article in the recess may be discharged from the receptacle.

5. A vending apparatus having in combination a receptacle provided with a discharge chute, a discharge plate mounted for sliding movement within the receptacle and having a recess movable into and out of register with the discharge chute but normally out of register therewith, and an agitator plate arranged for independent sliding movement above the discharge plate and having a slot normally in register with the recess, actuation of the said discharge plate acting to move the recess out of register with the slot and into register with the discharge chute.

6. A vending apparatus having in combination a receptacle provided with a discharge chute, a discharge plate mounted for sliding movement within the receptacle and having a recess movable into and out of register with the discharge chute but normally out of register therewith, an agitator plate arranged for independent sliding movement above the discharge plate and having a slot normally in register with the recess, actuation of the said discharge plate acting to move the recess out of register with the slot and into register with the discharge chute, and actuator means carried by the discharge plate adapted to engage parts of the agitator plate upon movement of the recess into register with the discharge chute to shake the said agitator plate.

FRANK PAYNE. 

